Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 41 Part 1.djvu/324

 directly or indirectly, to any unsafe or insanitary condition or imposed upon him any burden, loss, or unusual inconvenience in connection with his use or occupancy of such rental property, hotel, or apartment, the commission shall determine the sum which in its judgment will fairly and reasonably compensate or reimburse the tenant therefor. In any such proceeding involving a lease or other contract, the term specified in which had not expired at the time the proceeding was begun, the commission shall likewise determine the amount or value of any bonus or other consideration in excess of the rental named in such lease or contract received at any time directly or indirectly by the owner in connection with such lease or contract. The tenant may recover any amount so determined by the commission in an action in the Municipal Court of the District of Columbia.

. Whenever under this title a tenant is entitled to bring suit to recover any sum due him under any determination of the commission, the commission shall, upon application by the tenant and without expense to him, commence and prosecute in the municipal court of the District of Columbia an action on behalf of the tenant for the recovery of the amount due, and in such case the court shall include in any judgment rendered in favor of the tenant the costs of the action, including a reasonable attorney's fee, to be fixed by the court. Such costs and attorney's fee when recovered shall be paid into the Treasury of the United States to the credit of the District of Columbia.

. The commission shall, by general order, from time to prescribe the procedure to be followed in all proceedings under its jurisdiction. Such procedure shall be as simple and summary as may be practicable, and the commission and parties appearing before it shall not be bound by technical rules of evidence or of pleading.

. Any person who with intent to avoid the provisions of this title enters into any agreement or arrangement for the payment of any bonus or other consideration in connection with any lease or other contract for the use or occupancy of any rental property, hotel, or apartment, or who participates in any fictitious sale or other device or arrangement the purpose of which is to grant or obtain the use or occupancy of any rental property, hotel, or apartment without subjecting such use or occupancy to the provisions of this title or to the jurisdiction of the commission shall upon conviction be punished by a fine not exceeding $1,000 or by imprisonment for not exceeding one year or by both.

. The commission shall prescribe standard forms of leases and other contracts for the use or occupancy of any rental property, hotel, or apartment and shall require their use by the owner thereof. Every such lease or contract entered into after the commission has prescribed and promulgated a form for the tenancy provided by such lease or contract shall be deemed to accord with such standard form; and any such lease or contract in any proceeding before the commission or in any court of the United States or of the District of Columbia shall be interpreted, applied, and enforced in the same manner as if it were in the form and contained the stipulations of such standard form.

The owner of an hotel or apartment shall file with the commission plans and other data in such detail as the commission requires, descriptive of the rooms, accommodations and service in connection with such hotel or apartment, and a schedule of rates and charges therefor. The commission shall, after consideration of such plans, schedules, data, or other information, determine and fix a schedule of fair and reasonable rates and charges for such hotels or apartments; and the rates and charges stated in such schedule shall thereafter constitute